


Closer

by MusicPrincess655



Series: Kenopsia and Related Stories [4]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, Healing, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2016-07-29
Packaged: 2018-07-27 10:34:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7614703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusicPrincess655/pseuds/MusicPrincess655
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kyouhaba follow up to Kenopsia. Yahaba wants a lot of things: for his hand to get better, to be the captain his team needs, for Kyoutani to be his alpha...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Closer

**Author's Note:**

> Hey it didn't take me a century and a half this time. This is maybe fluffier than what I originally set out to do, but to be honest I'm a little angsted out after Kenopsia so these follow ups are probably going to get fluffier and fluffier.   
> Released just in time for Kyoutani day!

Shigeru sent a toss backwards over his head, turning quickly to watch it fall. It wasn’t even close to the water bottle he’d set up behind him, the toss thrown off by the twitching of his right hand. He clicked his tongue in frustration. Not even imagining a spiker had been any help, and he didn’t want to make his spikers stay late after practice to try and spike his now shitty tosses.

“Don’t you think you should give it a break already?” Watari asked from the sidelines. He was sitting on the bench, watching. “You’ve been at it for almost two hours and you’re getting worse.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Shigeru snapped. “I need to get better.”

“You’re putting too much pressure on your hand,” Watari shot back. “You’re messing up because it’s hurting. You have to rest it.”

“I’m supposed to be _captain_!” Shigeru screamed. “How am I supposed to be captain if I can’t even play? I wasn’t good enough to replace Oikawa-san before, and now my hand doesn’t even _work_!”

He slammed a volleyball into the floor.

“Go home,” Watari sighed. “You’re not helping anything by stressing yourself out. Your hand will get better when it gets better; you know better than to overwork it with an injury.”

Shigeru hung his head. Watari was right, and he knew it.

“They’re going to make someone else captain,” he said softly. Watari snorted.

“Like who?” he asked, shaking his head. “Considering liberoes can’t be captains, we don’t really have anyone else to choose from in the third years.”

“There’s Kyoutani,” Shigeru suggested. “He’s an alpha and everything.”

“Please,” Watari scoffed. “They’re not going to make Kyoutani captain even if you can’t play. He’s not suited for it and we all know it.”

“At least he’ll be on the court,” Shigeru muttered. “Not much use for a captain that sits the bench, is there?”

Speak of the devil, Kyoutani pushed away from the wall as they exited the gym. Shigeru jumped, stepping closer to Watari at the sudden intrusion before relaxing when he recognized the familiar alpha.

“Walk you home?” Kyoutani offered gruffly. Shigeru stared at him for a moment before turning to Watari. He hadn’t thought about it before, but Watari lived in the opposite direction to him, and staying this late meant he would have to walk home alone this late.

Which was something he didn’t want to do, so he nodded after turning back to Kyoutani. Watari waved them off with a sly look on his face that Shigeru refused to think about.

The walk was silent, but it was a companionable silence. While Shigeru might have reacted… _strongly_ …to Kyoutani rejoining the team, the animosity that had been between them had basically disappeared after the Spring High and Kyoutani’s full integration into the team. They’d become something akin to friends, awkward and fumbling. Kyoutani ate lunch with him and Watari now, and even seemed like he enjoyed the company.

So the silence wasn’t awkward the way it might have been when they first started figuring out their friendship. Kyoutani didn’t remain silent because he didn’t know what to say, but because he didn’t feel the need to speak unless it was important. Knowing this, Shigeru could appreciate the quiet in peace.

Kyoutani reached over and cradled Shigeru’s scarred right hand. It was a habit he’d dropped into. Although some time had passed since the kidnappings and Shigeru's hand had healed enough for the bandages to come off, it didn’t mean he was all the way healed. He’d had to have surgery to piece the tiny bones back together after he shattered them on the cuff, and he’d torn some of the soft tissue too. He’d been doing the physical therapy exercises set to him religiously, but so far didn’t seem to be getting anywhere with them.

“They’re not going to replace you as captain,” Kyoutani said, breaking the silence. “There’s no one better, even if you can’t play.”

“Well, we better hope we get a first year for a setter, because otherwise we’re stuck with Watari,” Shigeru replied, trying to make his voice lilt but not quite succeeding. There was pain there, and anger. The anger was mostly directed at himself, because he was the one who had caused his injury and he was the one who wasn’t healing fast enough.

“We’ll be okay,” Kyoutani said, and he sounded so sure. “Your hand will get better.”

“Not seeing a lot of evidence for that at the moment,” Shigeru said bitterly. Kyoutani swiped a thumb across Shigeru’s hand. It was a bit of a strange habit he’d picked up. He didn’t hold Shigeru’s hand in the way friends or lovers might, interlacing the fingers. Instead, he cradled it carefully in both of his as if he could heal it just by touching. His palms were warm under the back of Shigeru’s hand, and while it probably wasn’t doing any healing favors, it did feel nice.

So Shigeru let him do it. After all, it wasn’t like he had no motives himself for letting Kyoutani hold his hand.

“Thanks for walking me home,” Shigeru said as they turned on to his street. Kyoutani let his hand go when they stopped in front of his house.

“I can stay late and practice with you,” he said, looking down. “The water bottles aren’t really helping, are they?”

Shigeru didn’t ask how Kyoutani knew he’d been staying late to practice. They were on break before their third year started, and most people went running out of the gym after practice to take advantage of their break. As a powerhouse school, they couldn’t afford to stop practicing even when school wasn’t in session.

“Thank you,” he said again, quieter this time. He walked into his house, turning to wave as Kyoutani walked off into the darkness.

***

School started mostly without a hitch, Shigeru still captain, Watari his vice. There hadn’t been a single setter among their first years, so unless one was willing to learn, it looked like it really was up to Shigeru, still-not-quite-working hand and all.

He started staying late with Kyoutani and sometimes Watari, practicing spikes over and over. For the most part, Shigeru could send basic tosses now, but quicks still seemed beyond his capabilities. Kyoutani gave him the Look that meant it was time to stop. Shigeru knew he was right, but it was frustrating because he used to be able to go so much longer.

Kyoutani walked him home again, just as he’d been doing every time they stayed late. As always, he cradled Shigeru’s hand as they walked. They weren’t always silent. Sometimes Kyoutani asked him about his day, or questions about his family or his middle school. One time he even asked what Shigeru planned to do after graduation, but Shigeru didn’t really have a good answer for him.

“Hey, do you…do you want to stay for dinner?” Shigeru asked hesitantly as they walked up to his house. Kyoutani looked taken aback. “You walk me home all the time, the least I can do is feed you.”

“I don’t live that far away,” Kyoutani grumbled, but Shigeru could tell from his tone that it wasn’t a no. They walked into the house, toeing off their shoes as Shigeru called an “I’m home!” into the house. His mother walked around the corner, looking taken aback when she saw someone with her son.

“You must be the Kyoutani-kun I’ve heard so much about,” she said warmly. Kyoutani nodded as Shigeru blushed. He didn’t talk about Kyoutani that much.

Dinner went…surprisingly well. Kyoutani was a little quiet and awkward, but nowhere near as bad as Shigeru expected. He was polite enough to Shigeru’s parents and older sister, answering their questions in a gruff but not unfriendly way. Shigeru’s sister Kumiko was especially taken with him.

Shigeru walked Kyoutani to the door. He tried to offer to let Kyoutani stay the night, but before he could Kyoutani was walking off with a wave. He turned around and came face to face with his sister.

“You picked a cutie!” she teased.

“He’s just a friend,” Shigeru scoffed, ignoring the fact that he would love for Kyoutani to be his alpha.

“A friend who walks you home every day?” she asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

“He lives in the same direction and everyone’s been more protective of the omegas,” Shigeru countered. “You should see two of my second years, they were joined at the hip before and now I think they live at each other’s houses.”

Kumiko smiled in a way that let Shigeru know exactly what she thought of his excuses, but let him slide.

***

“You’re serious.” Watari stared at Shigeru with disbelief.

“We’re just friends, you know that,” Shigeru said, stuffing rice in his mouth defensively. Kyoutani wasn’t at their usual meeting place for lunch on the roof yet, and Watari seemed to think this was his moment to pounce.

“He walks you home every day,” Watari sighed, exasperated. “He growls at other alphas who get too close to you. How do you not recognize courting behavior when you see it?”

“It’s not courting behavior!”

“No, you’re right! He’s acting like he’s already your alpha.” Watari shook his head.

“Kindaichi protects Kunimi like that,” Shigeru shot back.

“Even if they’re not dating, you and I both know that Kindaichi is Kunimi’s alpha.” Watari gave him the Look that meant he wasn’t taking shit. “Why are you so quick to dismiss this?”

“Maybe because I don’t want to get my hopes up.” Whatever Shigeru was going to say after that was stopped by a pair of alphas walking up to them.

“You’re a pretty thing,” the one in front said to Shigeru. Shigeru gave his best unimpressed look and felt Watari mirroring him. “Care to come on a date with me after school?”

“No,” Shigeru said simply.

“Oh come on, baby.” The alpha squatted down to get in his space, tipping his chin up with a finger. The other stood between him and Watari, who made a noise of protest. Shigeru started to panic because his back was against the wall and the smell of alpha surrounded him, unfamiliar alpha, _not-his-pack dangerous…_

A low growl sounded next to Shigeru as the hand was ripped away from his face. Kyoutani stood next to him, eyes blazing even from the side.

“He said no. Back off,” Kyoutani growled. He looked menacing.

“He doesn’t even smell like you,” the alpha sneered. “He’s not your omega.”

Kyoutani growled lower at that, and the two alphas seemed to take that as their cue to leave. Kyoutani turned to Shigeru, picking up his right hand and looking over his face.

“I’m okay,” Shigeru reassured him, knowing Kyoutani was looking for signs of stress. Kyoutani leaned in, looking up at Shigeru’s eyes for permission before tucking Shigeru’s head under his own, rubbing his scent glands over Shigeru’s face.

He leaned back after he was satisfied, pink in his cheeks to match Shigeru’s.

“Now strange alphas won’t bother you,” he said in explanation. They sat in silence after that. Shigeru trying to ignore the fact that Kyoutani had just scent marked him for the first time in front of Watari. Watari kept shooting him Looks, and Shigeru knew exactly what he was wordlessly saying even if he refused to acknowledge it.

_Can you really pass it off as platonic now?_

***

“Can you help me with homework?” Kyoutani grumbled as they left their late practice. Shigeru stared at him. “Don’t look at me like that! You’re in the top class and I have a test next week. All those kanji look the same.”

Shigeru smiled and nodded. Kyoutani looked pretty cute, blushing a little.

“Besides, my sister wants to meet you.”

Instead of Kyoutani walking Shigeru home, for once Shigeru followed Kyoutani. The apartment was small, but cozy enough. Shigeru wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but it looked nice. A small shiba inu came running up to greet them.

“Hey Momo,” Kyoutani said easily, petting the dog. Momo panted happily.

“Onii-chan?” called a girl’s voice from inside. A little girl with brown hair and pigtails stepped into sight.

“Hi Ai,” Kyoutani called to her, and Shigeru could hear the pride in his voice.

“Who’s that?” she asked, pointing to Shigeru. She had the same blazing eyes as her older brother, the same face that tended towards scowls, although hers was twisted into curiosity instead.

“This is my friend, Yahaba Shigeru,” Kyoutani told her. “Yahaba, this is Aiko.”

“Hello,” Shigeru waved at her. Being the baby of the family, he was a little nervous around children, but Aiko seemed sweet enough.

“Shigeru-nii-chan,” Aiko declared, smiling before running back into the house. Shigeru blushed a little.

“She likes you,” Kyoutani explained, a blush on his cheeks as well. “She probably thinks you’re pretty.”

“What about you?” Shigeru asked before he could stop himself. The silence and deepening of the blush gave him his answer.

Kyoutani, as it turned out, wasn’t a bad student. He had a hard time paying attention in class just because of all the distractions, but Shigeru wasn’t having a hard time teaching him all the kanji he needed to know, and he seemed to be remembering it all.

“Why don’t we see if you remember all of this in an hour?” Shigeru suggested right as the sound of the door opening reached them.

“Dad’s home,” Kyoutani said, standing up to pull them both to their feet. He walked out, Shigeru’s right hand cradled in his left. Kyoutani’s dad looked up, looking surprised to see Shigeru.

“Dad, this is my volleyball captain, Yahaba Shigeru,” Kyoutani introduced them. Shigeru gave his most charming “meet the parents” smile.

Kyoutani-san was a lot like his son, gruff and awkward but sweet enough under the surface. He didn’t quite have the hard edge that Kyoutani seemed to have; that would probably only go away with age. He asked Shigeru questions about school and volleyball and proved himself knowledgeable on the topic. He thanked Shigeru for coming over to help Kyoutani with his homework.

After dinner, Shigeru quizzed Kyoutani on all the kanji again and was pleased with how much he remembered. Kyoutani walked him home as always. He held Shigeru’s hand in one of his own, not quite the same way he usually cradled it. He still didn’t lace their fingers together, instead wrapping his hand around Shigeru’s. Shigeru’s hand was technically bigger, but that was because his fingers were longer, so Kyoutani’s hand actually enveloped his when balled up.

“Do you…want to…go see a movie with me this weekend?” Kyoutani asked hesitantly when they got to Shigeru’s house. Shigeru felt the blush explode on his face, but he smiled and nodded. Kyoutani blushed too, but looked pleased as Shigeru turned to walk into his house.

***

They went to see some new action movie, sitting with the popcorn in Shigeru’s lap. They passed a large soda back and forth, taking sips absently as they stared at the screen. Both of them were engrossed, and the hand holding habit they’d fallen into came back.

Kyoutani mindlessly ran his fingers over Shigeru’s hand, gently flexing the joints and stroking the back. Shigeru leaned his head to rest on Kyoutani’s shoulder, slowly, carefully, so maybe Kyoutani wouldn’t notice. He still felt Kyoutani jump, but didn’t get pushed off and called it a success.

They stayed after the credits just in case there was another scene – there usually was – discussing the movie. Shigeru had liked the choreography of the fight scenes, while Kyoutani had been impressed with the explosion effects. They were practically the only ones in the theater, so Shigeru didn’t let himself overthink things as he leaned up to press a kiss to Kyoutani’s cheek.

Kyoutani froze, absent playing with Shigeru’s hand ceasing. Shigeru looked up at him, hoping he hadn’t fucked up, hoping he hadn’t misread every sign for the past few months…

Kyoutani reached out to run his hand over Shigeru’s cheek, pulling their faces closer.

“Is it okay if I kiss you?” he whispered. Shigeru nodded.

Kyoutani pressed their lips together. It was brief, Kyoutani pulling away almost immediately to blush and stare into Shigeru’s eyes, asking silently if that was okay.

Shigeru smiled, wrapping his arms around Kyoutani’s neck in a hug.

“This better have been a date,” he said. Kyoutani snorted into his shoulder.

“Was it not obvious?”

“It was, but this better mean we’re dating now,” Shigeru said. Kyoutani pulled back.

“I’ve been courting you for months.” He looked confused but happy.

“So Watari tells me,” Shigeru agreed. Kyoutani blushed.

Watari was over the moon when Shigeru texted him the details of how he was no longer single.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm doing a combination Daisuga/Iwaoi next.


End file.
